Fender Baja Telecaster

The features are excellent. The custom shop did a good job keeping the tele true to it's roots with the 3 saddle brass bridge and "plain jane" looks.

The body is ash and is desert sand colored. The neck is a giant hunk of wood and is solid maple. The neck is described as a soft v, but feels more like a an "O" shaped neck. It's like holding a baseball bat. The neck is noticable much thicker and beefier than my strat neck and other tele necks i've played on. It has jumbo frets and the neck is very straight. I'm used to strat necks and tele necks that are thinner with a slight curve. This neck is straight and flat like a les paul neck.

The tuners are the vintage style kluson style tuners and stay in tune. It doesn't have as fine of adjustment per turn like my sperzel's on my strat so going back and forth between them can cause me to over crank and miss my mark when fine tuning the tele.

The best feature are the pickups, 4 way pickup selector and the s-1 pickup switching. This gives you a possiblity of 6 different tones and they all sound good.

I gave this a 9, the only way to make this better is to add a strat middle pickup so you can get the 2 and 4 "notch" tones like on a strat.

This is a great sounding tele and is a hidden gem. The tele has twang and bite, but it's not ear piercing. It does have a slight different tone than a traditional tele in that it is a little "beefier" in sound and not as glassy. The bridge pickup has a nice snarl and growl and it's hard to believe it's a low output single coil. The pickup sounds thick, without being "creamy." Very punchy and bright, but balanced tone.

The middle position sounds good. I'm still playing with it though. I'm more of a fan of the 2 and 4 positions on a strat than the middle position of the tele. However, the middle position with the S-1 switch pressed puts the pickups out of phase and gives it a slight honk that is a little closer to the strat in sound.

The neck pickup is very round and fat, but doesn't get muddle. I haven't played with the pickup height on this yet, but I would raise it just a little bit to give it a little more bite and chime. Otherwise it's a very woody and fat sounding pickup.

The 4th position is the bridge and neck pickup together in series. The output kicks up a bit higher, but it's a very dark sound that can get muddy if you're not carefull. I use this position when I want a humbucker like distored lead tone. My favorite position for a distorted marshal tone, however, is the 4th position with the S-1 switch pressed down. This puts the 2 pickups out of phase and gives it a very honky midrange that cuts deep in the mix and gives your tone a nice grind.

Overall, this guitar has a very punchy sound.

Set-up was pretty close from spot on from the factory. I had to raise the bridge pickup a little higher. The action, however, is superb and this is the only fender guitar I have ever seen with a neck so perfectly straight like a les paul, yet have strings so low to the frets with no buzzing. It's different from what I'm used to in playing a fender. I usually like a slight bow in my neck and high action in my strats and teles.

Guitar is basically 2 hunks of wood bolted together. The only thing I'd worry about is maybe the S-1 switch failing after years of repeated use.

9.5

Fender's hidden gem. Any guitar player should get this tele in their lineup.

From F.'s spec.'s @ offcl. site: Classic Player B.T.(389)Desert Sand
polyester on ash(not quite '56 Mmstr/Duosn, restrctd diff.in paints)(307Blnd also)Nk 1pc mapl,soft'V'glospolyurth.FbdMap9.5"21mdjmbfrts.
CustShp"Twisted"Tele sc(n);CShpBroadcstr sc(b) [No Mktg. or Tech. info at official siteon either p.u.] S-1 is 8 pos.,not 6(reviews)4pos.by2(pshpsh). Notcompbrassbarrlstthrbrdg. F./Ping(K-look)vintsttnrs.Pgd blk/bld,pchmt/dsand. Stgs10-46.Inclds VeryNice F.Dlx.gbg+FStrp,calndr,3goodpkts,goodstrps.

Rarely use trad'l Tele for Chicago/Chess,Richards 68-72,Cropper,Cooder.Traded Bill Lawrence SwampkasterT w/EMGs+boot for G&L ASAT "Bluesboy"+AC30(Ch).Buying Swampk. back later today. Baja is proof of the creative wealth at Fender. S-1 is a legitimate mod. on this Tele,more for casual T players; the real guys - not impressed.

Action, string spread, nut height, all fine. Bridge frustration from non-comp. saddles - of course. Neck/pocket fit for the perfectionists
who still won't practice...Full disclosure: the Strat for me is my SRV: big frets healthy neck thickness solves the arthritis and loss of strength over yrs. from nerve comprssn. in neck. And the laziness..
Now the painful: Pickguard was buckling away full perimeter because some minimal trimming(a little filing)at switch end of control plate
was just flat denied. The nastiness reputation of certain Mexico facilities was sustained by 10 or so gobs of polishing material, same color as the finish; such had not damaged the finish. But,oh,
the underside of the single-layer guard looked like the bottom piece
in its stack,with dozens of grit-like surface slices; which wouldn't
affect the whoa! My excitement just went, oh man. What's underneath
the color coat, and the solder joints, and...that was it for me.

I think Baja is progress towards providing a package of sensible and
cool mods that could reduce much of the victimizing of the folks who
would benefit so much by investing their energy in playing and performing skills. If folks realized how much more good sound comes from tissues and energy than wood, metal and paint. But Fender knows that; and those offshore deals will keep on churnin.

Retail return within the behemoth's grace period.
And knowing some folks, and judging their guitar tournaments helps...

Playing piano-51yrs; guitar-41;reeds-45. I'm returning it because,
while I was trying to get over the sloppiness, maybe contempt for
an employer, I made a good trade for a Schecter(Kor)Diamond Series,
Tele.Dlx.-styling, also hot-rodded with Duncan(K)Gretsch-type humbkr-nk,Duncan59br, both tapped, strat rosewood neck w/import Grovers,
beautiful neck work.
How can you ignore Fender? Just go to the next one, like they do.

The custom shop pickups and S1 switching are really nice; you get a total of 6 pickup configs, all of which have their own useful sound. I have no desire to swap for Fralins or anything else. Tuners are solid, fretwork seems pretty good. I like the 3-saddle vintage bridge but I did swap the saddles for compensated; you might find yourself doing the same.

It really sounds beautiful to me. However, it doesn't quite sound the way I always imagined the 'tele' sound -- it's not at all icepicky or harshly bright, but it does twang. For me this is a feature; I expected to be struggling with excess highs in my amp/pedals but that's not at all the case. The pickups are really good for stock, no hum or excess noise, lots of good tones between the 4-position switch and the S1 selector. Even the neck pickup is useful, very round and fat.

Unsurprisingly, it was not particularly well set up at the factory. When I got it the frets rattled and buzzed quite a lot, and the intonation was nowhere near reasonable. I had to set up the saddle height and intonation, and ended up raising the action a bit and lowering the pickups, but now it plays like a dream. I'm not going to take points off for this because nobody should expect their guitar to be perfectly set up from the factory; that's part of your job as a guitarist.

Too early to tell; I've had it less than a year.

Huh?

I had mostly played strats before this, but I had a strong sense that I wanted a tele for a while now. Went into the store and played about 10 of them before hitting this one; played it unamplified for 30 seconds and knew I'd found it. If lost or stolen I'd cry, then kill, then probably go build one myself.

Does any Tele player escape the 'build my own' obsession?

Vintage Blond finish,lovely see through paint that shows a beautiful ash body under.the rest is classic telecasterlook,apart from the S-1 switch on the volume knob.Big jumbo frets,great feel - kluson de luxe like machine heads,very precise and reliable.Classic tele bridge with brass saddles.Great wiring - 4 position switch ans S-1 together add three every usable sounds to the classic tele sounds,making this guitar an incredible live machine.

I play R&B and blus mostly,and thsi guitar has it all - BTW you can really play everything with this thing.
I use a Vox cambridge 30 modified to 58 watts,and the sounds that come is exctly what I wanted - lots of twang and presence,cranks the amp out and screams really good ;-)

setup was ok,neck was a bity too straight,but changing the string gauge from 010 to 011 solved the problem without the need to access the truss rod,which is the located at the neck joint to the body,classic fender feature but a bit annoying to handle especially on the tel,as the neck pick up is in the way.pup's were set up good,everything else is top class.No flaws no dings,great lacquer on the neck for the right fender feel (I hate "satin" necks!)

built like a tank

never dealt with fender since now

to be honest,this guitar really doesn't seem mexican.is top quality,everything that you would expect from a real good american Telecaster plus some exciting new sounds.And it's a big bargain,get one before the price rises up!

Desert sand color. Unlike one of the previous reviews, I absolutely LOVE the color. "Subtle" is the word here. This color looks so nice because the finish is so smooth and glassy. There is no transparency whatsoever that half-ass shows the grain. I dislike finishes that just "sort of" show you the wood grain. Either show the grain so you can see it, or cover it with paint, I say. This opaque color really accents the timeless Telecaster shape - Simple, functional, elegant, industrial, and classic. How can one guitar be ALL those things? Ask Leo Fender. He got it right the first time. And all this is BEFORE it's plugged in. Custom Shop neck pickup and Custom Shop Broadcaster pickup. Ash body. Custom 4-way selector switch. Vintage gloss finish on the neck like all Fenders should be made, not the TOTALLY LAME flat finish most Fenders have on the necks. Sweet looking vintage style decal on the peghead. Vintage tuners that really complete the look and work well. Nice vintage "Pat. Pend." bridge with 3 brass saddles. Perfect intonation isn't achievable with this style bridge, but's it's close enough. Like some gear geek in the crowd with canine quality hearing is gonna say, "Hey dude - that's a 3-saddle bridge yer dealin' with - intonation is like imPOSSIBLE!!" Strum a chord with that smooth, powerful Telecaster tone, and he'll shut up right away. Custom Shop neckplate. Nice single-ply vintage style pickguard. Made in Mexico (who cares?) with the help of Fender's Custom Shop. Not "Tons of features", but a total classic with all the features you need -therefore, a 10.

I play 60's psychedelic rhythm mostly on a Rickenbacker 360/12. The Telecaster is for everything else, like rock and pop. I use a Fender Deluxe Reverb for both. Not noisy. Sounds are rich, full, AND bright. All the above. If you play heavy metal, forget it. Take your faded SG and break it over your bass players head. Then get a Telecaster and bow down before the Clear Tone God.

Only flaws were a few finish flaws on the peghead , but in places that are pretty unnoticable, like the edge and top, where you can't really see them. All Fenders need the intonation set. Neck is perfect with the correct teeny tiny concave bow. Had to raise the strings a bit because of buzzing. All this is pretty normal and expected.

Everything seems first rate. Time will always tell. I'm not worried.

I've called Fender several times. They actually answered the phone and were helpful, despite the horror stories you hear.

I've played over 20 years. Would buy this guitar again. I like the fact that it is a Custom Shop model at a reasonable price and has all the vintage appointments that make a Telecaster what is and WAS at the same time. The neck feels and plays like proverbial butter, it has THE tone, and looks like it was pulled out from under your grandfather's bed, where it's been stored since 1955 - yet mint condition. If only one word could be used to describe this beauty, it's YUMMY!!!

custom shop p/u's ash body, S1 switching, 21 frets , gig bag.

Incredible sounding guitar! This guitar has converted me from humbuckers. The sound and tone is so nice and there's so many tones available with the s1 option and 4 way. I never was happy with a strats bridge p/u, this tele's bridge is so sweet for overdrive sounds or super clean, it sounds amazing. I did not go in to the store to buy a tele, I just p/u this guitar and was wowed!. I have had other tele's before(52 fender RI) and thought they were nice but this guitar is special. The neck is bigger too, and it feels fantastic, and maybe adds to the magic tone. I love this guitar, check it out ASAP.

The fit and finish and set up were perfect. I got this at GC and I know they touch there guitars. I think you should check a couple out and find the best one.

this will be my main guitar for gigs and at home.

been playing for over 30 years i own tons of tube amps Marshall , fender, boogie's etc. i also have a PRS single cut and strat and now this tele. If stolen I'm running to buy another.

Basically, a tweaked 1952 Telecaster with additional killer tones. Ash body, 1 piece maple neck, 9.5 radius maple fret board with soft V-shape, 21 medium jumbo frets, old style 3 section brass barrel bridge, a Custom Vintage Broadcaster bridge pickup and a Custom Twisted Tele neck pickup with S 1 four-way switching, Gotoh vintage style tuning machines, deluxe gig bag, color is Desert Sand.

This guitar sounds great. The four-way switching produces 6 distinctly different sound positions. The 1 (bridge) and 3 (neck) positions remain the same in both S 1 positions. You get the 3 great, traditional Tele sounds (because of the custom pick ups, very, very good traditional sounds) and 3 additional great sounds of both pick ups parallel and out of phase, both pick ups in series (like a humbucker) and both pick ups in series and out of phase. It is really incredible. This particular wiring and switching arrangement dramatically improve the versatility of the Telecaster.

The extra positions give you a lot more sounds to explore. The sounds are so rich. There are great, pure blues tones, rock tones and unmistakable rockabilly tones. It is one of those guitars that is hard to put down because it sounds so good. This is a dramatic improvement to the Telecaster. The 3 classic Telecaster sounds plus 3 more killer tones. If you have reservations about buying a Telecaster because of the limited pick up positions (like I did), that problem has been totally solved.

Great single pole, nasal, reedy, creamy tones. Great bite when you want to rock.

The neck is much chunkier than the standard Tele neck. It was a surprise. I had expected some kind of slimmed down neck. It took some getting used to but it plays very easily. Intonation was fine, action was very, very good. No adjustments needed to be made. The body is very resonant and it sounds good unplugged. The maple fret board is terrific. The guitar stays in tune.

The G string had a slight buzz to it out of the box but I was able to easily take care of that. Two minor fit issues are that the bridge plate does not totally cover the bridge pick up cavity and the neck pick up cut out in the pick guard is too big so the fit around the neck pick up is sloppy. Just an observation, no big deal. For comparison, I have since looked at US and Korean made Telecasters and they do not have those issues.

The finish is great. No imperfections at all. With regard to the color, Desert Sand, there could not be a more nondescript color. If bland were a color, this is what it would look like. But, I suppose it fits in with the whole Player Series idea. This is the pre-color, 1952 Tele vibe of the industrial strength guitar that sounds great. With the bland colors, the Custom Shop completely keeps the focus on the sound. Which is where it should be. I should note that this was a scratch and dent find (actually just a return, the guitar was mint, with all paperwork, etc) so I took the color they had. For $600, I can live with it. Happily.

The guitar seems incredibly sturdy. Very much in keeping with the original Fender idea of sturdy, easy to fix guitars

No contact yet

This guitar is all about sound and playability and Fender nailed them both at a good price. The Tele is a classic guitar and the limitation of only 3 basic pick up positions has been completely eliminated. You can go all over the place with this thing.

This is a classic guitar. Very, very good quality. Very, very good sound. On those counts, it???s right there with my USA Strat and Gibson Les Paul. Looks are another matter.

I don't have the time to detail all the specs. I can tell you that body is ash and neck is maple. The guitar is part of the Custom Classic Series. It has an S-1 switching system and the pick ups are wound to custom shop specs. If you have spent anytime researching this guitar, you will know it's made in Mexico with the assistance of Fender's Custom Shop.

This guitar is the king of the street here. You have to hear this guitar to believe the sounds it can produce. I play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue with a GNX1. I think sometimes the GNX1 actually works against the sound of the guitar, but in this case, nothing can stop this thing from producing the best tones I've ever heard. The switching system is extremely effective and useable. The guitar can go from classic telecaster, silky smooth overdrive and high gain. The best way to describe the sound is to tell you that the guitar actually sings to you. Anything you can imagine you can play, can be played with this guitar. This guitar is off the scale for tone.

The guitar is fine. I just tuned it up and started playing. Fantasic action up and down the neck. The only thing I need to do is adjust the bridge saddles for a little better intonation. This is the only criticism I can make against this guitar. I love the way this thing plays because it has a nice big neck that plays like butter. This is not hype.

Built like a friggin tank. It looks every bit like a classic telecaster and feels the part as well. If you play telecasters, you know they are two chunks of wood. This one is a mojo caster. It feels good and sounds even better.

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I am 51 years old and have played guitar since the age of 10. I currently own 15 or so guitars including Am Deluxe Strat, Am Standard Telecaster and other brands as well. I have come to the conclusion for me that no other brand is quite up to the Fender bar. I am stuck in the past, but nostalgia has nothing to do with my opinion. You plug up a nice Fender guitar into a nice Fender Amp and you have magic.This Baja Telecaster is something else. If you like Telecasters,you will love this guitar.